COMPLETED -The Stars Chose Me (BOOK ONE)

Chapter 1

I lay under an old bridge with nothing but a small jacket to cover my freezing body. Hunger gnawed at my stomach. I hadn't eaten anything in the past two days. I figured I would try to find food in the morning. This wasn't fair. I should be at home, with my family, with warm food and water. I shouldn't have to be here...suffering the way I am. However, I am still here. Alone. Cold. Hungry. I waited around two hours till sleep finally washed over me.
~
"Mama! Please!" I screamed. "Don't leave me!" All my mother did was give me a sharp look. Then she turned and walked out the door. She beckoned me with her hand to follow her out. I couldn't. This was my home. Where I had grown up. And this wasn't fair. Just because I am a girl? My father believed only boys could become great mandolorians and carry on the family line. Like they did in old days. And they blamed me for it.
"Let's go." My mother yelled at me in a dark voice. All I did was shake my head no. Pain shot through my shoulder. I spun around to see my father, hands clenched in fists.
"Do as your mother says!" He roared. I was so shaky and distraught. I slowly started to move into the direction of the door. When I reached it I took one more look at my home and then walked out.
~
My breath was heavy as I woke up from my dream. Accept it wasn't a dream. It happened. It happened to me. My hands found my face and I noticed I had shed some tears. I didn't know why I kept having dreams of that day. Maybe it was because it was the last time I saw my patents and my mind wanted to remember them. But I didn't. They abandoned me and left me nothing. Kicked me out of my home and then left themselves; off to live on Naboo. To "start new lives" and forget all about me. A fresh wave of hurt ran through me. I was nothing to them. Nothing at all.

Sunshine filled the winter morning as I began searching for food. I felt so weak. My body was screaming at me to give up. But I knew I couldn't. Eventually I found a piece of bread and an apple. It felt so good to be able to eat after so long. I sat finishing my apple alongside an old building. Sitting there I observed the town. People hustled by going to the local market or to work. Storm troopers watched the streets looking for any signs of rebellion. I could never join the First Order. Every local person knew that the they could not be trusted. Around a month ago a girl accidentally dropped her things on a storm trooper. They thought she was trying to distract them so the Rebels could get inside the city. They took her into custody. "Ouch!" I was snapped back into reality when something hard hit my foot. I looked up to see a young boy looking at me. He had dark hair and dark brown eyes, but something particular caught my eye. On his cloak was a symbol. This symbol was the symbol my father wore on his cloak. I let it slip my mind when he exclaimed simply,
"Sorry. I tripped."
" Its okay." I replied.
"My name is Orion. You look hungry. I have some food where I live. Why don't you come with me?" I gave him a sharp look. He only felt sorry for me.
"No thanks. I have been living like this for years. I am perfectly fine."
"You sure? Because I need to talk..." His voice trailed off. A look of confusion spread around my face. Why would he want to talk to me? Even if I was starving I couldn't risk my safety for it. If I were honest this boy seemed nice and all but I couldn't trust him.
"Thanks for asking, but I am fine." I told him as I got up and left.
I walked back to my "home" beneath the bridge. Clouds rolled in from the east side. I began to wonder who that boy was. Who were his parents? Where did he come from? Why did he want to talk to me? Did he know me? The sun began to set causing it to become chillier by the minute. I wrapped myself up in my thin jacket. I wondered if I would ever be out of this kind of life. Doing something more. I then remember the Rebels I had seen earlier. How I had wished I could be something like them. Maybe even become one. I thought about things like these until sleep came over me once again.
~
Gunshots filled the air. Tie Fighters and Star Destroyers swarmed above my head. I awoke from my sleep almost instantly. I had no idea what was going on. I started running towards the gate. My only weapon, my gun clashed against me as I raced toward the city. Before my parents abandoned me I had heard them talking about it. In pure sadness and fear I stole one of my father's guns. I didn't know what my future would hold and being a mandolorians' s daughter I had no real protection. If the First Order found out that I was the living daughter of Bobba Fett things wouldn't be good. I had no idea why I was running towards the danger. But something sparked inside of me. Telling me I had to be there, protecting the innocent, defending the Resistance. A woman's wail pierced the night sky. As I neared the city I noticed that storm troopers surrounded the gate, letting no one in...or out. I needed a plan. I crouched beside a rock and loaded my gun. I sat there thinking about what I should do when I heard foot steps behind me. I slowly turned my head to see another young boy racing towards me. He slid barely missing the rock. On his gun was the rebel symbol painted in many colors. The moonlight above me allowed me to see his face clearly. He had dark brown eyes and blonde hair. He looked at me with wild eyes, excitement spread through them. "Hey. My name is Khann. This might sound really weird but I need your help. My friend bailed on me. I am here trying to stop this whole nonsense and I am hoping you are too."
"Actually I am trying to. My name is Alora." I chuckled to myself. "What's the plan?"
"No plan." He smiled. "Just kill as many bucket heads as you can and get inside the city. Follow me." Khann finished as he got up. I followed. On the count of three I started shooting. Storm troopers this way and that started falling to the ground. Before I knew what was happening I was too on the ground, bleeding. Pain spread like a wildfire through my body and then everything went black.
~
I woke up in a white room. I lay in a white bed. My side was bandaged with thick white cotton strips. My heart raced. I waited there still for several minutes until the large door opened and Khann stepped through. "Hello again. How are you feeling, Alora?"
"Where am I? Why am I here? Who are you? What happened?" I trembled.
"Slow down. You are here in my rebel ship. Your safe." Khann stated.
"What happened?" I inquired. He took a deep breath before saying,
" You were shot, Alora. You were in critical condition so I brought you back here. I didn't want to have to watch you die." A smile crossed his face. Heat rushed to my cheeks.
"I'm sorry...I....I didn't mean to ruin the mission...I should have told you I wasn't experienced....I..." I was shaking so much I couldn't finish. I was so embarrassed. Some stranger saved my life and I didn't even know him.
"Its okay. Everything worked out. And don't be embarrassed. Trust me. Everything is good now." He exclaimed as if he had read my mind. "So Alora, tell me more about you. I barely know anything about you." I bit my lip. I worried if I told this guy my family history what would happen. I barely know him. I decided not to take a risk.
" Well you know my name. That just about sums me up." I answered. A small laugh escaped him.
" Really? Well if you don't want to talk I understand. But first I need to know one thing."
"Yes?" I let out a gasp of pain. My side felt like someone had taken a torch and made me swallow it.
"Why we're you there, at the gate?" Khann questioned me. This time I told him the truth.
"I don't know. I felt like I needed to be there. It felt like someone was calling me. You wouldn't understand. All I know is that if I stayed away I wouldn't forgive myself." I finished. I tried sitting up but the pain crippled me back down. "What happened? I didn't know being shot hurt this much." I let out another gasp.
"Lay down. Don't try to move." Khann ordered me. "You were shot in the side."
"Thanks for stating the obvious." I told him as I pointed to the giant, white bandage taped around my side. Humor flashed in his eyes.
"My parents used to call me Captain Obvious thank you very much." He laughed.
"Used to?" After I said those words I knew I shouldn't have spoken them.
"Yep. Used to. They were killed when Alderrann was destroyed." Khann' s face a changed.
"I'm so sorry. I didn't know." I mumbled.
"Its okay. How could you?" He mumbled back. I could tell I had hurt him a little.
"Anyway..." I said trying to change the subject.
"So that's all you can tell me? Just your name?" Khann' s face brightened a little.
"Trust me I am not an amazing person. Nothing really special about me. Just a teenage girl living on Taris." I really wanted to tell him my family history and why I lived there by myself. But I never was really good at sharing things with my peers. And I didn't know if I could trust this guy.
"Well I certainly don't think that. I..." Khann' s voice was cut of by a giant boom that shook the walls of the ship. My whole body shifted. My side banged the metal bar that held my bed together. I let out a shriek. It hurt me more than I had expected. "Hold on!" Khann yelled. He quickly opened the latch to my door and ran out towards the cockpit. My side was burning. I needed something to help with the pain. Another boom sounded. I couldn't move. I couldn't do anything. Just sit there, wait, and pray that everything would be okay. ~
I could hear Khann speaking to a Rebel leader over a comm. He was asking for immediate backup. It sounded urgent. Another boom shook the ship. This time I was thrown off the bed and onto the floor. I screamed. Nothing in my life had ever hurt this much. I tried to calm myself down. Tell myself the pain I am feeling won't last forever. Another boom. I grabbed the handle bar on my bed and managed to push myself up into a standing position. I grabbed the rail along the wall and limped over to the door. I removed the latch and stepped out. I followed the voice of Khann till I finally reached him.
"What is going on?!" I gasped before beginning to fall. Strong arms wrapped around me before I hit the floor. Khann had caught me. Our eyes meet for a moment. Then he picked me up and took me back to my room.
"Your pretty light." Khann smiled.
"Thank you." I replied as I was laid back in my bed. "What is wrong with me? I didn't think it would hurt this much. And I certainly didn't imagine me being this weak."
"You were shot. It didn't hit any organs but the bullet went straight through. Most people don't make it, but your a fighter." Khann explained. I smiled. His compliment made me feel good even though my body screamed the opposite. The ship shook. My body quaked.
"What is happening?" I asked again this time my voice more steady. Khann let out a sigh before answering,
"Our ship was detected by a squad of First Order ships. I am using the best shields we have but it won't last long. I needed back up and that's why I called the rebel base."
"Oh." Was all I was able to say. "Are we the only ones on this ship?"
"If you don't count my droid, Arty, then yes." There was that smile again.
"Khann!" The intercom shouted. "We have your location. Coming your way."
"Roger that. I have an injured girl on my ship. She needs medical attention ASAP." Khann reported after glancing my way. Beads of sweat poured down my face. I felt so hot I could barely feel my side. I managed to lift my arm up and feel my forehead. Burning heat. Things aren't right. I could tell I was growing weaker by the second. I needed someone to fix me.
"Khann..." I whispered. My mouth felt like sandpaper.
"Alora?" Khann knelt beside my bed.
"Water " I choked out. He didn't say anything. Just jumped up and ran the other direction. I liked this boy. A lot. He already proved himself in my book. Hopefully we could become good friends. Khann burst into the room with a glass cup filled with ice cold water. He hastily gave it to me. I nodded in his direction in gratitude and then slowly sipped the drink. The drink instantly soothed my dry mouth and throat and made me fell a bit cooler. It only lasted a few moments. The heat came rushing back into my body like an ocean wave. I pushed all the blankets off me trying to change my body temperature. But nothing worked. My side felt like fire and my body was like a volcano waiting to explode. Khann kept glancing my way with concerned eyes. More than concerned. Worried eyes. And that scared me.
~
Blasts. Gunshots. Power. I was in a daze. I couldn't make out anything. My eyes became blurred and I couldn't move. All I could feel was the scorching pain in my side. I waited there for what felt like hours. Then I was moved. Someone moved me into a new ship. I could feel them removing my bandage. And then they put a mask over my face. I was out.
~
I could hear voices. Urgent voices. I noticed one of them was Khann' s. Another girl named Jolyn was talking. I moved my head in the side exposing my ears. My eyes fluttered open. Khann stood over me. Relief washed into his eyes.
"Alora!" Khann' s voice cracked. I laughed.
"Hi, where are we?" My voice seemed flat and hoarse.
"In D' Qar. We are at a Rebel base. Your safe. For real this time." Khann answered.
"What is wrong with me?" I croaked.
"Your going to be fine. That is all that matters." Jolyn piped in. She gave Khann a stern look then went back to folding bandages. I wondered why my voice sounded the way it did. The door opened. A man stepped through. My eyes studied him. On his leather jacket was once again the rebel symbol.
"How's our patient?" The man's voice was full of concern.
"Better. She's finally awake." I dected a hint of sarcasm in Jolyn's voice.
"Good. We are going to need her." The strange man paused. Need me? I pondered. Why would he need me? I sighed a long, deep sigh. Ever since that night nothing seemed to make sense. "Khann has told me of how brave you were when the First Order Army attacked your city. Our base could use some leaders like you. I have a new group of rookies forming. They need a leader. With the proper training I believe that leader could be you. The group specializes in undercover missions. They are trained to blend in. Gather information. Strike against the First Order in ways they wouldn't see coming." He finished. My brain felt heavy with the amount of stuff this guy had told in me. "The first mission assigned to this group takes place in the next year or so. We need you all to get inside a star destroyer." My head exploded.
"What? That is a job for advanced people who know what their doing! What are you thinking?" I raised my voice despite the pain.
"Woah there. It's a simple mission. All we need you to do is get inside the transmission room. There, block the signals from transferring to the other ships. Then we can attack."
"Rebels aren't known for attacking...first. Why do this?" I challenged.
"The First Order has been tormenting us for long enough. It's time we attack them...first young lady. You need to get used to taking orders from your authorities. My name is Commander Slick. And I am that authority." I held back a remark. Instead I just nodded and looked away. I met Khann's eyes. Mischief flared up in his eyes. His voice spoke in my mind.
"Fat chance. This girl has a mind of her own." I laughed out loud. I hadn't laughed in a long time. I stopped myself short as pain crept in. I didn't know such a joyful thing could bring pain. The statement was partially true. I didn't enjoy being told what to do. But I never tried to disrespect my elders. Commander Slick gave me an odd look before finally leaving.

~
"Today's training will consist of conditioning and simulations. The simulations will keep track of your heart rate through tough illusions. The only way to escape it is to calm yourself down and tell yourself it's not real. The fastest person done will be ranked first. When you complete your training you will all have a ranking." Our training instructor, Ivy, stated. Ugh. Conditioning. The one thing I hated about working out. I looked at the order of names on the board telling us who would go first and so on for the simulations. I was to go second. Khann was to go sixth. Tension surrounded me and the other 19 students as we waited for the first simulation to start. Aya Cordan was first. Her name was called. She nervously rose from her chair and slowly walked to the simulator. Ivy attached a wire around her wrist that connected with a large, round metal piece. Then she lead Aya to a tube like structure and told her to get inside. The simulations started for her. We couldn't see what was happening but we could definitely hear her. Screams shook the tube. Anxiety crept inside me like a snake. I began shaking. A soft hand touched my shoulder. I looked over to see Khann, his eyes warm. He didn't say anything, just kept his hand on my shoulder. And I didn't mind. I liked having a friend...someone I could trust for the very first time. I smiled at him. We sat there until my name was called.
~
The blue tube door shut beside me. I breathed in and out. In and out. In and out. Black spots started covering my vision. Then I was in a room. I recognized this room from my childhood. Before my parents left me. I shuddered. I didn't want to be here. But of course that was the whole point of this simulation. To test us on our most stressful memories. To see what breaks us. I looked around. My parents sat across our long wooden table, screaming at each other. This was how life was like for me. All the time. My heart raced. What to do? What to do? Then instructor Ivy's voice rang in my head. Calm yourself down. It's the only way. I tried my best to breathe evenly. I shut out the screaming as best as I could. I waited there in that room until my vision spotted. I looked up to see Khann. I hadn't realized how handsome he was till now. Something pulsed through me. Something that never had before. My cheeks felt warm as I looked at him. He helped me to my chair. "How long was I in there?" I sounded weak.
"About three minutes. Record time the instructors said." Khann almost shouted. His smile beamed. But not as much as I felt inside.